The very notion that ‘big brother’ is watching you is one that has existed for many a decade now, with the idea of being tracked and spied upon tracking all the way back since the days of Russians spies and Communism. These days, technological advances have meant that phone hacking and such have been unveiled even in the national newspaper businesses, but back in the day it served a huge purpose within the Cold War, lending to the focal point of Christiano Dias’ brilliant short film, Hurricane.

As they settle down for a standard evening dinner, husband and wife Oslo and Eva Alduars (Corey Page and Lisa Roumain) paranoia takes hold as suspicions are aroused following apparent noises emanating from the wireless. This only heightens when a stranger at the door (David Jay) appears, claiming to be a newspaper salesman, with Oslo’s heightened sense of suspicion causing him to invite him in before starting his own over-the-top form of interrogation.

Blending a brilliant sense of dark humour with a wholly relevant subject matter, Hurricane is a perfectly poised and rather authentic feeling short that really defines the mindset of many people, whether back in the days of the Cold War or in fact living within the world today. The threat of terrorism and power-hungry leaders often leaves us exceptionally on edge when it comes to the security of our countries and Hurricane hammers that home in its transportation back to an equally uncertain time.

The setting itself for this short film is rather simplistic but very reminiscent in its styling of a bygone era and lends to the overall feel of the picture. Here we have a couple’s home that should be their own personal space in which they feel comfortable, but in fact they are the opposite, massively claustrophobic and on edge. The feeling of an ordinary mealtime is immediately dashed, replaced by an unnerving setting dominated by the fear of the unknown and a real sense of our characters being watched. Dias brilliantly heightens the tension and the paranoia upon the arrival of Jay’s seemingly innocent visitor, with the music edging its way in to create that extra fear factor and Corey Page especially heightening his performance to leave us on tenterhooks.

For a short film such as this to have so much tension emanating from its pores is a true testament to the filmmaking skills of Christiano Dias and he has really forged something truly wonderful within such a limited runtime. With his three cast members on top form and a fantastic blend of realism, edge-of-your-seat unfolding events and pinpoint dark humour, Hurricane is an essential piece of viewing for this day and age. Wholly relevant and oozing brilliance.